Fellow cardhunters, are you wondering if a crappy item you are holding onto will ever be used ? Did you question why are there crappy items you would never use because you have another one that is always better ?
Rejoice hunters, for now you have in your hand the answer, the explanation, the analysis, the '"list." Read on to find out.

The Ruleset:
(To any of you TL;DR people, feel free to skip this section)

Before getting into the list, lets's clarify what I mean by "universally inferior". Universally inferior items are items that are worse than another item (having the same token cost) under any circumstances. Because of that, there is absolutely no reason to use that item instead of the superior one when it is available. Any circumstances here implies all situation that is beneficial toward the general goals of defeating your opponent: Dealing more damage, preventing more damage, taking less damage ... If your build's goal is to take as much self damage as possible or deal as few damage as possible, this list does not apply.

To define it, an item is universally inferior to another item if and only if it contains all cards that are either equivalent or universally inferior to the other item's card. Similarly speaking, a card can only be universally inferior to another card if it is worse than the other card under anycircumstances. To ensure a strict rule, they will have to follow these rules. Cards can only be considered and compared for superiority if they satisfy:

Two cards belong to the same card type, and going further, attack type and damage type if applicable. (For example: Armour vs Armour/Boost. An Armour/Boost can can be revealed when the boost trigger, which behave differently than a normal armor)

Have strictly numerically superior values (more dmg, more range, more heal etc...) with the exception of damage value less than 6 vs damage value >= 6 (due to the existence of Desperate Block)

Have equivalent numerical values, but the superior cards have a optional benefit. If the benefit is not optional and can be punished, they will not be compared. (For example: Force Blast is not universally superior than Force Bolt due to the unavoidable additional slide back).

For block and armor dice rolls. Cards having lower trigger value is superior to another card if the rest of the cards are identical. Otherwise, only cards with the same trigger value should be compared.

All cards that attach a copy of itself to characters (most fire spell, trait and handicap trait) are not compared due to the attachment difference and limitation. (For example: Fire Spray is not universally superior than Ember Spray because having both can deal more burning dmg than only having Fire Spray)

Lastly, universally superior cards must be within the player's control. If the circumstance depends on the opponent, considers the cards different and not compared.

Some notable mentions: Icy Block, Anvil Strike, Fiery Stab are not superior than its numerically equivalent cards due to attachment limits. Weakened Armor are not inferior to its armor counterpart due to the fact that it will not trigger from behind, hiding itself similar to a block.

Damage bonus on Punishing X cards does not apply before block, base dmg is applied normally for Desperate Block.

Feel free to comment and suggest add any set of items that are universally inferior/superior. Feel free to challenge and modify the ruleset, cardList, itemList of universally inferior items/cards. As new builds bring new items, cards, and balance changes, I will keep this list updated.

Analysis:

Generally speaking, universally inferior items, while having the same token costs as other items, have a lower item level, lower rarity, or a combination of both. They provide a clear (strictly) path of progress for item find. Their purpose is to allow players to see a clear-cut progression path as they play through the campaign.

However, once the superior items are found, they immediately become useless and serves as vendor scraps because under all circumstances in which you can equip the inferior item, you can equip the superior one instead. These inferior items inflated the amount of items available, while providing no more choice/complexity in character building.

From the huge amount of items that exists in the game, the amount of universally inferior items that I can pull out are minuscule, even though there are a few hundreds item in each level range. This reinforce the design pattern for items: While an items maybe perceived as inferior to another item, weaker items will never be strictly weaker than another item. There will be situational uses, specialized build that may at some point, utilize that item, regardless of its strength. In short, items should not be strictly weak, but rather weak in different way.

This list of items seems like the exception to the rule. And since there are very few of them, I plan to keep track all of it. What's the fate of these items? Jon has already stated he wont remove them. So the best I can hope is for these items to be changed. Maybe swap some card around, maybe add a trait card, maybe introducing more mechanics that target weak card etc...

Hopefully this list wont be getting too long, keeping the interesting item diversity and item choice of the game intact.

For anyone who doesn't expect these item to be changed, this is my vendor item list personally made for you

Have fun hunting !!!

Changelog:

2015/08/20: Cards with cantrip are now different. 3 items removed. Read More

You're not taking item level into account - that matters a bit as well since the tokens are more or a gating thing than an absolute restriction. Comparing lvl 11 and lvl 15 items - you can't expect them to be as powerful due to having the same token requirement. Also, it should be remembered that the system is based around single player progression to begin with...

I'm a little confused. You've defined what you mean by universally inferior but you've failed to state why you feel the items you've selected are inferior, universally or otherwise. Also we have to assume that by inferior you mean in comparison to the other options you have at the given talent cost. Rarity nor level are not discussed at all.

After looking through some of the items to respond I believe I found that you mean the Item1 > Item2 is intended to mean that Item2 is universally inferior to item 1?

It also seems that you've pointed out a lot of low level items where the weaker version is level 1-3 and the better version is 6-9ish. If the level range was greater then I would have more of an argument against your issue with them but as it stands I think the reason you see a lot of this is to pad out the lower level items. Doing so grants players a greater variety (numerically) of items to start out with and allows them to find items superior (however slightly) to the ones they have even through the first few adventures. Having to wait until you get a talent point to improve on something you want (instead of getting yet another option to do something you don't want) can be less encouraging to the players. As you said it gives the "new players a sense of [progression]". I think it's actually important to focus on the first experiences of a new player.

Aside from the new player experience I (hesitantly) agree with you. Do you see any higher level items with this issue?

You're not taking item level into account - that matters a bit as well. Since the tokens are more or a gating thing than an absolute restriction.

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I'm aware of that, this is only a problem when a player have acquired the majority of items (as mentioned in the OP). Item level only matters where that item can drop. Once it is dropped, there is no difference. Similarly, item rarity only slow down the problem, not solving them.

Introduce new card, new mechanics that take advantage of inferior cards (dealing less damage is more beneficial etc..).

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If there is a mechanics that take advantage of low level item, I'll remove any such item from the list.

I'm a little confused. You've defined what you mean by universally inferior but you've failed to state why you feel the items you've selected are inferior, universally or otherwise. Also we have to assume that by inferior you mean in comparison to the other options you have at the given talent cost. Rarity nor level are not discussed at all.

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Sorry for confusing it. These are items that is strictly inferior, under any circumstance, with the same token costs. Some crazy situation are taken into account for these. Level and rarity is not considered in this discussion.

It also seems that you've pointed out a lot of low level items where the weaker version is level 1-3 and the better version is 6-9ish. If the level range was greater then I would have more of an argument against your issue with them but as it stands I think the reason you see a lot of this is to pad out the lower level items. Doing so grants players a greater variety (numerically) of items to start out with and allows them to find items superior (however slightly) to the ones they have even through the first few adventures. Having to wait until you get a talent point to improve on something you want (instead of getting yet another option to do something you don't want) can be less encouraging to the players. As you said it gives the "new players a sense of [progression]". I think it's actually important to focus on the first experiences of a new player.

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While I agree that there need to be progression of item from lvl 1 - 6 (right before the first minor tokens), they don't have to be strictly inferior. They can be numerically inferior or slightly different. If you look at the example of items that is numerically inferior, but not universally inferior, those are the kind of items they should be instead.

The list isn't long when many (extraordinary) situation are taken into account. It could improve item diversity by changing them or removing them.

I'm aware of that, this is only a problem when a player have acquired the majority of items (as mentioned in the OP). Item level only matters where that item can drop. Once it is dropped, there is no difference. Similarly, item rarity only slow down the problem, not solving them.

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Concerning rarity, I'm not sure that's the case here. One might argue that finding a rare version of item you are already using to replace your common one is a large benefit as opposed to gaining a rare item that fits some other situational play, which you aren't playing towards.

I'm curious as to what you feel the problem with these items actually are. You say they are "bad in general" but then turn around and say they are good for new player's feeling of progression. Your only argument against them seems to be that they become vendor trash. I'd argue that so do 90% of the items I collect. Certainly all treasure is. Are they also somehow "bad in general"?

Excellent post! I completely agree that there should be no "universally inferior" items, since that really limits variety and "trash items" are always very disappointing. One minor thing: an item with fire spray and ember spray is not universally worse than an item with two fire spray, since fire spray and ember spray will stack and give two different burn effects, while two fire sprays will only give one burn effect. Multiple burns can be very useful for kicking off other attachments. Thus stone of searing memories is not universally worse than stone of burning dreams.

I'm curious as to what you feel the problem with these items actually are. You say they are "bad in general" but then turn around and say they are good for new player's feeling of progression. Your only argument against them seems to be that they become vendor trash. I'd argue that so do 90% of the items I collect. Certainly all treasure is. Are they also somehow "bad in general"?

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The items aren't bad in general, they are always bad. The fact that these items exists are "bad in general". I'll fix that. I'm just pointing out that the purpose of these item is to give progression. But they don't have to be universally worse, just worse in a different way.

Excellent post! I completely agree that there should be no "universally inferior" items, since that really limits variety and "trash items" are always very disappointing. One minor thing: an item with fire spray and ember spray is not universally worse than an item with two fire spray, since fire spray and ember spray will stack and give two different burn effects, while two fire sprays will only give one burn effect. Multiple burns can be very useful for kicking off other attachments. Thus stone of searing memories is not universally worse than stone of burning dreams.

Not disagreeing with you (though it may feel that way), but I'm curious as to what benefit will be gained by changing/fixing/removing the universally inferior [edit: obviously intended to say items here].

Not disagreeing with you (though it may feel that way), but I'm curious as to what benefit will be gained by changing/fixing/removing the universally inferior cards.

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I'm not sure if my argument has much ground, but it is to make sure every single item is unique and different in its own way. I love the way items and card are designed in this game, love the tokens system. Having these items seem to go against these brilliant design. Or maybe it's just the OCD inside me talking.

Either way, I want to keep this list for items that I can safely sell without any regret.

Not disagreeing with you (though it may feel that way), but I'm curious as to what benefit will be gained by changing/fixing/removing the universally inferior cards.

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I assume that programmer (nor anyone else) is arguing for the removal of inferior cards - but rather of inferior items. And I tend to agree that such items shouldn't be in the game.

It isn't a big deal for me. I don't think it's a very important thing. But I do think that having a bunch of complete obsolete items adds meaningless choice and complexity to the game, and having items which will never ever be useful just clutters up the inventory. It doesn't bother me much that such items exist, but if I was in charge of designing items I'd make a conscious effort to not have one item completely overshadow another.

I previously said a few words about this here, and I mentioned two examples. One of the examples I mentioned is not yet in this thread's list, so here it is: Blessed Ring Shirt is superior to Adept's Healing Mail.

OP is just calling for more variety, more wheat and less chaff. Judging by the size of the list it looks like the chaff:wheat ratio is so low as to suggest the item designer(s) are already following a general rule of making lower level/rarity items be generally less useful than but not strictly inferior to higher level/rarity items. Within the item design rules they've created and as constrained as they are by other design goals, the current roster of items might be as diverse as they could get them (or as diverse as they could get them on first pass).

Item level has to matter if you want players to reliably get incrementally better cards as they level up. With eighteen item levels and only three categories of token requirement on non-weapon items, one of which is a category to itself (lvl 18) - something's got to give. Having uniquely useful items that don't become obsolete just because you leveled up is clearly a goal for the team making the game, making a list of candidates to be changed could conceivably help them do better.

I previously said a few words about this here, and I mentioned two examples. One of the examples I mentioned is not yet in this thread's list, so here it is: Blessed Ring Shirt is superior to Adept's Healing Mail.

Feel free to add and contribute any other inferior items that I've missed, or discuss and dismiss existing items on the list. I might have missed a mechanics or a situation in which those cards might be different.

Precisely because of that difference (interaction with different block level), that item doesn't make the list. For damaging effect, 2 >1; 4 > 3 and 6+ > 5 are the only pair of universally inferior. (Interaction with +dmg effect does not apply since blocking values currently only care about base damage)

Precisely because of that difference (interaction with different block level), that item doesn't make the list. For damaging effect, 2 >1; 4 > 3 and 6+ > 5 are the only pair of universally inferior. (Interaction with +dmg effect does not apply since blocking values currently only care about base damage)

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If you want to be that pedantic then no cards that can be targeted on an opponent can be universally weaker, because lower damage cards are always better in drawing out Duck.
Which would make the exercise pretty pointless, so a numerically inferior list might be more useful.

If you want to be that pedantic then no cards that can be targeted on an opponent can be universally weaker, because lower damage cards are always better in drawing out Duck.
Which would make the exercise pretty pointless, so a numerically inferior list might be more useful.

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You just figure this out? Perhaps reading the original post would help...

Thanks for being a smartass. I just wanted to point out that the existence of the duck card removes all items from that list that are not moves or armor.

Come to think of it armor cards also do not qualify, because sometimes you want to take damage, i. e. if you have Martyr Blessing active.

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But the problem with this is that you don't construct your deck to purposefully be inferior in these ways. Armor for instance. Even if your goal is to take damage and draw cards through Martyr Blessing, you would not select Spiked Mail as an alternative to Shoulderspike Mail with this in mind when a Cloth Shirt is available for instance.

But the problem with this is that you don't construct your deck to purposefully be inferior in these ways. Armor for instance. Even if your goal is to take damage and draw cards through Martyr Blessing, you would not select Spiked Mail as an alternative to Shoulderspike Mail with this in mind when a Cloth Shirt is available for instance.